Hope in Bloom gardens bless breast cancer patients

Wednesday

Oct 17, 2012 at 12:01 AMOct 17, 2012 at 5:14 PM

Since 2007 Hope in Bloom has planted flower and vegetable gardens free of charge for breast cancer patients throughout the state – including Hingham, Weymouth, Cohasset, Marshfield, Pembroke, Quincy, other South Shore communities, and Cape Cod – thereby improving their quality of life.

Carol Britton Meyer

Hope in Bloom gardens offer comfort and hope to women and men undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Since 2007 the organization has planted flower and vegetable gardens free of charge for breast cancer patients throughout the state – including Hingham, Weymouth, Cohasset, Marshfield, Pembroke, Quincy, other South Shore communities, and Cape Cod – thereby improving their quality of life.

“These gardens are a place breast cancer patients can escape to – they’re colorful and alive – something to touch and smell – offering a very spiritual kind of healing,” Hope In Bloom founder Roberta Hershon said. Many of the recipients are now in remission and attribute their good fortune in part to their gardens. Others say the gardens help reduce stress and anxiety, thereby strengthening their resolve to face the challenging treatment regime.

Because of their positive impact, they have become known as healing gardens – therapeutic sanctuaries – that help meet the emotional and psychological needs of breast cancer patients and their families. Both year-round indoor and outdoor seasonal gardens (container, patio, or in-ground) are offered, depending on the recipient’s preference and tailored to his or her residential space and lifestyle.

Hingham resident Beth Anderson was one of the first recipients of a Hope in Bloom garden. “It is a wonderful reminder every day that there is much love and hope even in times of illness and fear,” she said.

Madeline Gatti, also of Hingham, calls her Hope in Bloom garden “a joyful place where I feel safe, loved, and supported.”

She explained that many other members of her family have been touched by breast cancer.

“I have added their plants and other items to my garden and now each spring, as my garden begins to grow, I feel their strength and love and know that I will have that same courage to triumph over any challenges I may face,” Gatti said.

Hope in Bloom was the outcome of Hershon’s 50-year friendship with Beverly Eisenberg, who died from the disease in August 2005.

“We were inseparable growing up, and she wasn’t supposed to get sick or die,” Hershon recalled.

In later years, the two friends enjoyed gardening together. After she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was no longer able to garden, Hershon and other friends kept Eisenberg’s house filled with flowers, allowing her an opportunity to “take pleasure in their quiet beauty,” Hershon said. “We called [gardening] our magical brand of medicine.”

Following her friend’s passing, Hershon formed the non-profit Hope in Bloom and started collecting donations to be used for planting gardens at the homes of others who were undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Beauty, tranquility

“Hope in Bloom offers beautiful, tranquil places to sit, reflect, and escape from the world of doctors, hospitals, and illness,” Hershon said.

She noted that studies have shown that individuals who are exposed to nature – whether a waterfall, tree, or garden, and whether healthy or ill – often experience a drop in blood pressure. “Our outdoor gardens [coax the recipients] outside, which reduces anxiety and depression,” Hershon said. “All they have to do is roll out of bed to experience them. Unlike with a public garden, they never have to leave theirs.”

So far Hope in Bloom has planted 118 privately funded gardens. Recipients include women in their 20s to a 90-year-old. So far, only one or two gentlemen have requested a garden.

“A few years ago, people started asking for vegetable gardens, so we planted one in Cohasset,” Hershon said.

The gardens include a visual feature such as a sculpture or birdhouse to liven up the landscape during the winter months. It’s reassuring for patients who have received the gift of a garden to realize that in the springtime it will bloom again. “It’s the cycle of life,” Hershon said.

The feedback is always complimentary.

“The gardens provide a sense of renewed hope and foster a positive attitude,” she said.

Everyone has different preferences, so each recipient is asked what kind of color they prefer and what their favorite plants are. Favorites range from black-eyed Susans, roses, and a variety of grasses to hydrangeas, lilacs, and Rose of Sharon.

Team effort

Many individuals and companies have joined the Hope in Bloom team to make the program possible.

“Hundreds of miles have been driven, countless gallons of water consumed, and many new friends made at each new installation,” Hershon said.

While the hope is to eventually receive enough donations to expand the program to other states, there are currently more than 200 individuals on the Massachusetts waiting list, so no new requests are being accepted at this time.

The only requirement for a garden to be planted is a note from the individual’s oncologist confirming that his or her patient is undergoing active treatment for breast cancer.

Hershon noted that one of the Seven Wonders of the World is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and that many medications are plant-based. “Many hospitals today have healing gardens,” she said.

For more information, to volunteer, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit hopeinbloom.org or call 781-381-3597. Notecards, jewelry, sunscreen, and T-shirts are available through the Hope in Bloom online shop. The organization is based in Dedham, Mass.